“BEYOND YOUR CHURCH”

Taranaki Daily News, 13 February 1933, Page 6

“BEYOND YOUR CHURCH”

WHAT YOUTH OWES TO YOUTH RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHRISTIANS. BROAD OUTLOOK ADVOCATED. An appeal to Christians not to regard their denominations as water-tight compartments, but rather as parts complementary to the whole was made by Miss Jean Stevenson, national secretary of the ' Y.W.C.A. in New Zealand, when preaching at Knox Church, Fitzroy, New Plymouth, yesterday morning. Taking as her theme “What youth owes to youth. Miss Stevenson urged young people not to be content with. the palliative giving clothes to the poor, but to search for the causes of poverty so that they might be eliminated. , “Those who call themselves Christians,” said Miss Stevenson, "have a great responsibility! a. responsibility that goes beyond their own family circle, or their own church, out. to the. whole community, a responsibility that is concerned with people’s working conditions, or their lack of work, or their opportunities for play or -knowledge ■ or worship. The kingdom of God is not in little paddocks each farmed by a different denomination of the church, but m building the whole' community of righteousness, justice and truth.” - _• There were three great ways by which young people who were true followers of Christ could sliare those riches with others, she proceeded. They must love, understand and serve. Interpreting “love” as widening fellowship, Miss Stevenson told of her experience in the Y.W.C.A. in meeting people of different religious faiths, or no religious faith, of all types and of all races. "It is only as we cultivate fellowship that we shall have opportunity to share with others and to leam from them,” she said. “My first Bible study in the Y.W.C.A., where everybody belonged' to , a different church, taught me a great deal and helped me to understand the points of view of many earnest and sincere people.” She spoke of her contacts with industrial girls at Melbourne and the enrichment that came from fellowship with -people of different training and traditions, One of the great, enriching factors of the Y.W.C.A. was being linked in .membership with the girls of many countries all round the world.

Speaking of service, Miss Stevenson contended that "much effort in the world was useless because people would not take time to study afid prepare themselves, and she appealed to youth to make their service searching and effective. “Do not be content to give away your old dress or old suit of clothes to the poor, but try to search for the causes of poverty • and eliminate it, remembering' that the will of God is ‘abundant life’ for all,” said Miss Stevenson. *

In conclusion she said she felt that the reason why so little seemed' to be done, even though there were so many earnest Christians in the world, was because they were inclined to treat their church as a field to be cultivated instead of a powerhouse through which they would be inspired to go out to enrich and help the community. They were inclined to perpetuate divisions instead of leaping over them. It should be the prayer of. earnest and inspired Christian youth:—

“Make me to be a torch for feet that grope Down' Truth’s dim trail: To bear for • wistful eyes Comfort of light: To bid great beacons blaze / And kindle altar fires of sacrifice. Let me set souls aflame with quenchless zeal For great endeavours, causes true and . high. So would I live to quicken and inspire, ' So would I thus myself bum and die.” But this prayer could only come true if they were willing td “Break down barriers, Change thinking Widen the reach of love.”